


Big Trouble in Little Altissia

by TimidMarshmallow



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU, Altissia, Fluffy hurt comfort, Spoilers, gelato
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 09:50:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10637391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimidMarshmallow/pseuds/TimidMarshmallow
Summary: They've got a day to kill before Luna's address. Exploring the city proves to be an invitation for trouble.





	1. Chapter 1

"Blow the gridanta!"

'Boooooweeeeeeaaaahhh!'

"Aw yeah!"

"Look at it go! It's slashing everything in the face! ...That's it, I've come up with a new monster name! Ignis the shieldshear!" 

Ignis was too focused on the fight and missed Noct's dubbing of their chosen warrior. However Prompto heard it, and snickered at his imitation of the chef's accent. 

The men cheered as the gargantuan crustacean took down the last sabretusk. Their winnings would pay for a stay in a decent room at the hotel. Noctis immediately began looking over the list of combatants to try and pick the next winner. 

Prompto looked over the balcony they were standing on. Looking up, he saw a plethora of people in the stadium. They had seats but the view wasn't as good. At least, that was Noct's reason for making them stand at the balcony. Looking down, he saw the remains of the monster battle being cleared away. The grisly reality of Totomostro. Prompto was just glad he didn't have to fight the monsters. They had done enough of that back in Lucis. 

By lunchtime Noctis had won them enough gil to pay for the hotel, restock their supplies, go out to eat, and then some. Ignis split the gil up for these expenses and divvied the extra between the four of them. 

"I don't know about you guys, but that gelato cart we passed looked real good... How's about we go grab some?" Gladio was practically drooling at the thought. 

"Lunch first. I'll not have you spoiling your appetites." Ignis crossed his arms. He tried so hard to keep their diets balanced despite their meager supplies. While he enjoyed the occasional treat as well, it was becoming a little ridiculous trying to keep them eating healthy the longer they stayed in this city. The lure of so many different kinds of junk food... It was omnipresent and irresistible. 

"We probably have to eat vegetables first, right Specs?" Noctis grimaced. 

"You're finally learning." Ignis smirked at his expression. 

"Where are we eating, Iggy? I'm so hungry there's a hole in my tummy!" Prompto rubbed his growling belly. 

"Well, I did happen to see a pizza parlor..." Ignis figured he could order loads of vegetables on top of the cheese. That would meet the dietary requirements with the least amount of whining from a certain royal. 

"Sounds good!" Prompto pocketed his gil as Ignis led them back towards the arena entrance. Nobody noticed the figure watching them get on the gondola. 

-o-

"Open wide, Prom." Noctis threw a mushroom piece into the blond's mouth. "Ready for the next one?" He missed, and a pepper bounced off of Prompto's cheek. Sauce was now splattered across his freckles. 

"You two better knock it off before Ignis gets back. I don't want to sit through another 'healthy eating is essential' lecture." Gladio was a little ticked that the pizza place skimped on the pepperoni. He took a circle off of the advisor's slice and covered the obvious gap with a tomato. 

"He's taking an awful long time in the bathroom..." Prompto wiped the sauce with a napkin and continued eating. 

"If he comes out of the there with a new chocolate recipe I will barf all over his dress shoes." Noctis shuddered and drank a sip of his soda. 

Ignis returned to find two laughing Crownsguards and a slightly green king. 

"What took so long?" Gladio scooted his chair in so the advisor could squeeze past him. 

"Sorry for the delay. There's some missing persons posters listed by the bounty hunts. Apparently people have been disappearing in this district." Ignis frowned as he took a bite. The cheese looked disturbed... "Noct, did you take my pepperoni? I know I had a piece, I was looking forward to eating it." 

Gladio shot Noctis a look, and the king smirked back at him. 

"No, you know I only steal Prompto's food. He's the only one who won't complain about it." To prove his point he snatched a clump of cheese off of his friend's pizza. Prompto just took another mushroom off of Noctis' slice. 

"That's because he's used to your bullying." Gladio kicked Noctis' boot under the table. 

"Hey! Noct doesn't bully me! I really don't mind sharing. Besides, we've always traded food." Prompto recalled lunchtimes in high school. He'd take the veggies and give Noctis anything that messed with his diet. His sleepy friend claimed he needed the sugar to stay awake. It turned out to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. 

"You keep telling yourself that." Gladio shook his head. Did Prompto really not realize how much he let the king get away with? The shield went to continue eating but noticed that Ignis was glaring right at him. 

"Really? I expect such immaturity from his highness-" "Hey!" "But not from you." Ignis took a replacement pepperoni from the remaining slices in the middle of the table. "Why didn't you just take from these?"

"The satisfaction of pranking you. Thanks for ruining it. How come you didn't suspect Chocobo Butt?"

"My hair-" Noctis cut off the protest by tossing a black olive at his face. It smacked Prompto in the nose, and while he was distracted Ignis explained his quick deduction. 

"Prompto would've just asked for some of Noct's. Anyway, we still have some time to kill before we head to the hotel. Are there any particular shops that we would like to visit?" 

"The ice cream cart." Noctis reminded the tactician of the previously requested treat. 

"Besides the ice cream. And it's gelato." Ignis tried to keep the exasperation out of his voice. There was no controlling the sweet teeth of his companions. 

"Iggy, what's the difference again? I can never remember." Prompto knew full well what the difference was, but getting Ignis to explain something always put the advisor in a better mood. The spectacled man loved education. 

"Gelato is churned at a slower rate than ice cream, making it denser and silky. There are two types, milk based and fruit based. When it is fruit based it's called sorbetto, or sorbet. However sorbetto is higher in sugar content, because of the fruit juices." 

"Oh. Thanks, Ignis." Prompto smiled and nodded. Ignis copied the expression, happy to share his knowledge. 

"Hmm, now I'm not sure which I want." Noctis leaned forward, placing his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand. 

"You know they have a list, right? And the flavors are on display. You can look 'em over when we get there." Gladio took two seconds to decide which he wanted. "I'm gonna get tiramisu. I hear it's similar to cookie dough ice cream."

Ignis confirmed. "Yes, that comparison is often made." He snapped his fingers as he decided on a flavor. If he couldn't dissuade them from visiting then he might as well join in. It wouldn't do to sit there grumpily while everyone else enjoyed frozen treats. "Hazelnut gelato sounds heavenly." 

"Isn't that the flavor that tastes like coffee?" Noctis smirked. Of course Ignis would choose that one. "Prompto? What are you going to pick?"

"Uh... I don't know. I'll pick whatever jumps out at me, I guess."

-o-

Stracciatella gelato sat in the bowls in the younger men's hands. "It's like chocolate chip ice cream! Mmm, it's so good." Prompto took another spoonful of his small cup. "Noct, can you hold this for me? I need to use a bathroom." 

Noctis took the gelato. "Hurry up or it'll melt." 

"Got it!" Prompto ran into the nearest store, hoping they would let him use the facilities. 

The store was a lot bigger on the inside than it looked. It turned out the bathrooms were on the third floor. Prompto washed his hands and glanced in the mirror. "Ooh, better wash my mouth. No wonder the cashier looked at me weird."

Gelato smear free, the gunner exited the restroom. He was pulling his gloves back on when he heard crying. A little girl was half hidden behind a shelf of personal beauty products. 

"What's wrong?" Prompto bent down so he was eye level with the child. She looked to be about nine. 

"I can't find my daddy. Will you help me?" 

"Sure! It's okay, we'll find him. You don't need to cry anymore." Prompto offered his hand to the girl, who took it and immediately stopped crying. It was a little unnerving how quickly she turned off the tears, but Prompto chalked it up to relief at receiving aid. 

"I lost Daddy downstairs, by the side exit." The girl twirled a pigtail as she spoke. "Maybe he thought I went outside and he's waiting there?"

Prompto felt uneasy as they walked down the steps. Why would a man who'd lost his nine year old go outside? Surely he'd have faith that the girl would stay in the store and wait for him? And if she lost him on the first floor, why was she up on the third floor by the men's bathrooms? 

"Uh, what does your dad look like?" He realized he had no idea who he was looking for because the girl had offered no details. 

"Oh, he's kind of tall. Brown hair, brown eyes." She was pulling him toward the side door. 

"Hold on a second. I... need to text my friends. We'll go out to check in a minute." Alarm bells were going off in his head. Maybe it was just his anxiety, but something felt seriously off about this girl. 

He shot a quick text to Noctis. "Alright, let's go." Was she scowling at him? Why did she suddenly look so angry? 

The girl practically dragged the blond out of the door and into the side alley.

As she pulled on his arm people began appearing from nowhere. At least ten tough looking thugs were circling them now. The girl let go of Prompto's hand and he moved in front of her, preparing to summon a weapon. He felt something jab into his arm from behind before the blue crystals had a chance to form. 

"Daddy, I couldn't keep him from texting. We need to move fast before those other three show up."

He should've listened to his gut. He yanked the syringe out of his arm and dropped it as his body started to feel tingly? No, fuzzy. Maybe both?

"Excellent work, Abelie. This one should be quick and easy. We'll be gone before they get here." 

The man who had answered her tilted his chin at the blond to indicate he was speaking to him. "Listen kid, we're just gonna take your gil..." He strode forward and grabbed the collar of Prompto's vest. Lucky he did, because standing was becoming very difficult. 

"...And sell ya back to your friends. You see, a lot of the gangs around here are in the ransom game. We just happen to be one of them. Surely your friends would scramble to get the gil to pay for your safe return. Since you boys seem to be good at picking Totomostro winners, it won't be hard for them to afford the ransom."

Prompto heard everything the man was saying, and felt a detached sense of panic, but he couldn't move. Whatever drug they used made him feel heavy and dulled everything. 

His phone rang. 

The man, still gripping his vest, reached one hand into Prompto's pocket and removed the ringing device. He read the caller identification. "You're going to tell this... 'Noct'... everything's okay, got it?" He motioned for some of the other men to move behind the blond. 

Prompto felt his wrists being tied together and prayed that his leather bracelets stayed in place. Nobody commented, so he figured they hadn't seen it. 

The man answered the phone, putting it on speaker.

"Prompto, where are you? Your gelato has melted completely."

"H-hey, Noct. I... m'okay. J-just helping that... girl I t-texted you abbbbout."

"What's wrong?" Noctis sounded angry. He must've realized that his brother's slurring stutter was a result of danger. 

The man shook his head. 

"N-nothing. No wrong thing." 

"Really? Cuz you sound drunk. I entered the store as soon as I called you and you're not in here. Stay where you are." 

The man cursed. He hadn't counted on the black haired one to move so quickly. "Sorry, that's not really up to him. Ta-ta!" 

"Prompto who-" He hung up the phone and stuck it into his pocket. "Move him over here, one of his friends wants to play hero. Let's show them how we deal with that here in Altissia. Abelie, be a dear and tell the other man where he can find his friend." 

The girl darted back into the store as Prompto was dragged away from the door. 

-o-

Noctis was frantically running down the steps two at a time when he saw the little girl. "Follow me if you want your friend back." Abelie giggled. This one looked stubborn and would likely put up a fight. At least, until he realized the consequences. But weren't there two others? Oh well, it was easier to move them separately anyway. 

"Where is he!? I swear, if he's hurt..." Noctis stomped behind the girl, following her to the door. 

She opened it and ran out. 

The first thing Noctis saw when he stepped into the alley was Prompto. He was held against a muscular guy, arm circling his bound form. A hand was over his mouth. The blond started trying to shake his head, warn Noctis to go back, but the king charged forward. 

"Prompto!" He never even saw the fist coming. 


	2. Chapter 2

"Seriously, did they fall in? What is taking them so long?" Gladio stood up. It was time to start looking. 

Ignis fell into step behind him. "He ran off after getting that text. Maybe Prompto is imperiled?"

"Well that would've been a useful fact to share. I swear, he's such a knucklehead sometimes." They entered the store. 

"I don't see why he didn't say anything either, but getting angry won't find them." Ignis approached the cashier. "Excuse me miss, have you seen two men that came in here? One is skinny and blond, the other has long dark hair." 

"Oh, Chocobo and Grumpyboots? They both went out into the alley with some little girl. Don't know what's so fascinating out there." 

"Thank you." Ignis led the shield outside. 

Laying in the alley was a shredded strip of plaid fabric with a note trapped under it. 

'50,000 gil each. No police. Side of Arena Galviano. 8:00 pm.'

Gladio said every curse he knew. "You've got to be kidding me! They move out of sight for ten minutes! Ignis, let's go." He began to stomp towards the door when Ignis' voice stopped him. 

If auras could kill then Ignis would have murdered half of the city by now. "We don't have enough. If we charge in short handed then they'll be hurt. Or worse." He clenched the piece of undershirt from Prompto's vest. Someone was going to pay for endangering his little brothers. 

The two men practically flew to the gondola. The gondolier dared to ask why his passengers looked so angry. "Hey fellas, what's the matter? It's a beautiful day here in Altissia, so put those frowns away!"

"What do you know about the criminal activity in this city?" Ignis had put a hand on Gladio's forearm to keep him from biting the man's head off. 

"Criminal..." The gondolier's entire face darkened. "So, the mafia's back in business. Let me guess, someone was kidnapped?"

"Yes. We found a note, but do you know anything else that might help us?"

The gondolier shared everything he knew about past cases. Activities that endangered the citizens always made it into the papers and the natives knew where to avoid. Foreigners had no such knowledge, and unfortunately wound up being targeted. 

They arrived at the arena. It was only two o'clock. The shield and advisor had six hours to raise some gil. 

-o-

Prompto nudged Noctis with his knee. The king shifted slightly, but his eyes stayed closed. 

They were on some sort of boat. Prompto had been blindfolded after they knocked his best friend out, but he had heard the water lapping against creaky wood as they boarded. The sedative wore off, and his stomach had done gymnastics, ballet, and some form of Tae Kwon Do while he was jostled out of the alley. He had been silent the entire time, not wanting them to hit Noctis again because he was 'misbehaving'. 

They were tossed into a room below deck, and Prompto had heard the lock click. They were alone. 

"Come on, Noct. I need you to wake up. Please..." He nudged him again. 

He heard a groan. Yes! 

"Uuugghh, my head. What the hell?" Noctis must've remembered what happened because he stopped wiggling against Prompto's knee. "Prom! Are you- gkssst- Are you okay?" He tried to sit up despite the ropes immobilizing his arms. 

"Yeah. How's your head? You hit the ground pretty hard." Prompto turned towards Noctis' voice. 

"Ooh, give me a second..." Noctis warped out of the ropes. He removed the cloth covering Prompto's eyes. "Turn around, I'll get your hands free. I'm fine now, just a major headache." 

Prompto still worried. He hoped Noctis didn't have a concussion. "Do you want an elixir? I don't think they took anything besides my phone and my gil." 

"Nah." Noctis crawled back around to his front. The king grabbed his head, turning the freckled face from side to side. "Noct, stop, I'm okay. I'm more worried about you."

"They didn't hit you, did they?" Noctis let go but was still scanning for bruises. 

"No. I didn't get to fight because that little girl drugged me. I was about to summon a weapon and..." He unexpectedly found himself pressed against Noct's chest. 

"You dork. Only you would manage to find trouble by trying to help a child." He began absentmindedly rubbing Prompto's back. "Gladio's gonna be pissed. And Ignis... I don't even want to know what he's going to do to those guys when he finds us." 

Prompto let out a short laugh and put his arms around Noctis. "Yeah, they're gonna do some major damage." He had noticed that Noctis said 'when' and not 'if'. 

"We should probably escape before that though." 

"Noct, we're on a boat. We've been in here a while, I doubt we're near land." Or where the buildings were, it couldn't really be called land. He wasn't too concerned with technicalities at the moment. 

Hmm. That did complicate things. Swimming away was not an option, they'd be spotted immediately. Noctis could try to warp away, but Prompto couldn't. Even if he tried to carry him while warping they would need to land at some point. With nothing but water surrounding them Noctis didn't want to put Prompto in more danger. 

"Noct, I'm sorry. I should have called you guys instead of just rushing to help that girl on my own. I felt something was off, but I ignored it. Pretty stupid of me, huh?"

"Prompto. I don't blame you for any of this. You were trying to help someone who you thought was in need. It's not your fault she took advantage of your good heart. Now stop blaming yourself and help me think of a way out of here."

They were trying to come up with a plan when they heard the door opening. Both of them stood up, ready to summon weapons. 

Abelie walked in. 

As the door was slammed shut by two men outside Prompto shifted apprehensively. He didn't want to hurt her. Evil or not, she was still a child. Noctis just crossed his arms, moving slightly in front of the gunner. "What do you want?"

"Weeeeelllll, I just wanted to let you know that we're about two miles away from the city. We'll be returning soon though, Daddy left a note for your friends. Dinner's in two hours." 

"Great. Now leave." Noctis glared at the girl but she just smirked back. 

"So rude. And how did you get untied? Daddy's not going to like that. He might even need to separate you two."

"Not going to happen." Noctis kept his angry frown, but inside he was freaking out. If they were separated then he wouldn't be able to stop them from hurting Prompto. 

"Abelie, why?" The gunner's quiet question attracted the attention of the other two. 

"Why, what? Why did we kidnap you? You were already told about the ransom. You can't possibly be confused about that. Or did the sedative affect your brain as well?" 

"No, why are you doing all... of this?" He moved his hands in a circle, trying to gesture that he meant everything in general. "I mean, this is dangerous. Doesn't your dad want you in school, doing... normal... child things?" Prompto had inched forward and she had watched with narrowed eyes. What was this skinny guy trying to do? Be kind? Because that wasn't going to get him anywhere. 

"Not that this is any of your business, but Daddy isn't actually in charge of everything. He just leads this unit. He can't stop, or else. He thought I'd be safer if I stayed in his sight." 

Oh. So the girl was being threatened to keep the father acting like a pawn. If she was to be believed. There was still that air of cockiness about her, something that shouldn't have been there while revealing such a sad backstory. 

"Tell you what. If you let me retie you with no fighting then I won't mention it to anyone else. Deal?" 

Prompto looked to Noctis, who was thinking it over. He didn't believe this girl for one second. She would definitely blab. But... On the off chance she didn't... They wouldn't be separated and Noctis could still phase through the ropes. This element of surprise could be instrumental when they attempted escape. 

"Hurry up or I'll just call those men outside. You don't want that."

"Fine. Prompto, sit down so we can be trussed up by a little girl." So humiliating. But if it meant his brother would be safe then he would endure it. 

"Thanks, Abelie. Please don't tell." The blond looked her in the eyes as she moved towards the men on the floor. She angrily yanked her gaze away and began tying Noctis' wrists together. 

She didn't understand. Why was he being nice? Every other time they procured someone there would be angry cursing and threats. But these two... The blond one didn't seem to blame her like everyone else, despite her being the reason he even went into the alley. And the stubborn one, the one she had expected to rage, was only interested in keeping them together. What was wrong with these two? 

She gave one last vicious tug, fighting down the unwanted guilt at hearing the blond's tiny hiss of pain. 

"See ya later." She left them sitting there. 

As soon as the lock clicked Noctis turned to Prompto. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"She came in to find two loose captives. Instead of screaming for help she just... And she knew we wouldn't hit her. And that we'd sit back down like docile lambs."

"I don't know, maybe she thinks we're cute?" He grinned cheekily. 

Noctis laughed. "Yeah, Prompto, the evil little girl thinks we're cute."

Prompto answered the question without joking this time. "Noct, she seems like she know what she's doing. This isn't her first job, and she probably got really good at reading people."

"So she saw that you are a gentle little chocobo butt?" Noctis nudged his friend in the side with his elbow. 

"Hey!" He tried to slam against Noctis but he just fell over. "Look what you made me do!" Noctis laughed as he squirmed back into a sitting position. 

"I didn't make you do anything! Seriously though, I hope she doesn't tell. Then as soon as there's an opening I can warp out of these ropes, grab you, and go."

"Then we'll go find Gladio and Ignis." Prompto nodded. The plan had lots of holes, but at least there was one. 

The men sighed. It was time to play the waiting game. It was made even worse by the fact that they needed to keep the ropes on. If someone else walked in they might not get as lucky as with Abelie. 

Ten minutes of silent contemplation passed. 

"Noct, I'm bored." He wasn't as panicked as when Noctis had been unconscious, and without the fear distracting him ennui settled quickly. 

"Take a nap. That's what I want to do." Noctis yawned to prove his point. He scooted backwards to the wall and leaned against it awkwardly, trying not to crush his arms. 

"You want to sleep now!? Dude, we're stuck on a ship tied up and you're just tired?"

"Yeah. Stop yelling and go to sleep. We'll need the energy later." Hmm, good point. Noctis pointed to his lap with his chin. "Lay down here, so I'll feel if you're moved while we're sleeping."

"Noct, you sleep like the dead. You won't feel anything." Prompto still scooted over. He carefully lay on his back and put his head on the king's lap, closing his eyes. "Now what? I'm still not sleepy." 

"Do you remember that Lucian lullaby? The one about the dream guardian?"

"Of course. I love when you sing that." Prompto often heard him humming it when the king thought no one was paying attention. 

Noctis began singing about Carbuncle as he stroked Prompto's hair. He had decided to warp out of the ropes again. Once Prompto was asleep he would figure out how to get them back on. 

It took two soft run throughs of the lullaby before he felt his brother relax. By the end of the third Prompto was snoozing on his lap. Noctis kept running his fingers through the golden locks, staring at the way they would catch the light. 

Noctis sighed. He knew Prompto was probably still blaming himself for them being captured. The king wished he could ease some of the guilt. 

Right. Time to get the ropes back on and take a nap. His entrance to dreamland was a lot quicker. 


	3. Chapter 3

When he woke up his legs were missing a certain weight that had been there earlier. Noctis cursed. Prompto was right, he hadn't felt anything. 

How long had they been separated? Why hadn't he woken up while it was happening? Surely Prompto would've awoken and made some sort of noise... Unless they had threatened harm against his still sleeping friend. Noctis groaned. He knew Prompto wouldn't do anything to put him in more danger. 

He was about to warp out of the ropes and raise hell when the door opened. Three men walked in, one of them holding a plate of food and a bottle of water. 

"Where is he!? I swear, if you've hurt him I will-"

"Oh cool it with the tough talk, Freckles is fine. For now. Boss just don't want ya eating together cuz then ya might try something funny."

The man set the food down and untied his hands. "Try anything stupid and then Freckles won't be so okay anymore, get it?"

Separation and threats to ensure compliance. Did these people steal their technique from one of the cheap gangster movies he and Prompto had watched one summer? If those movies were anything to go by then Noctis knew he had better comply. The villains in those movies were always trigger happy. The sick irony of the gunner being shot made his stomach churn. He had to prevent that any way he could. 

"When are you bringing him back?" Noctis ate the food quickly. The faster this was over with the faster they could be reunited. 

"You won't see him again till it's time to collect the gil. Abelie said you two got free somehow, and she had to trick ya back into your bonds. Pretty stupid of you, getting' fooled by a little girl." 

They all laughed at his stormy expression as the man retied him. He knew that little witch was untrustworthy. 

He waited five minutes after the door locked to warp out of the ropes. Time to find his brother. 

-o-

Prompto watched as Abelie stared at him. He had already eaten and been re-bound. Similar threats against Noctis' safety had kept him compliant. 

"Uh, when can I go back? Noct is probably awake by now, and he'll be worried."

Abelie was suddenly in his face. She poked a freckle on his cheek, giggling at how he inched back on his butt, startled. "Oh, Daddy said to keep you apart."

"But..."

She kept talking. "He's been awful tense since he called her. I think she's mad at him."

"Who?" Prompto figured she was talking about the higher power she had mentioned earlier. 

"Camelia Claustra, first secretary of Accordo." Abelie waved her hands in mock celebration. 

Prompto gaped. They had just spoken to the secretary about Leviathan before going to explore the city. He knew she had seemed shady! She spoke down to Noctis while they were negotiating, and everyone had chalked it up to her being a cranky old lady. 

"She's probably mad we acquired somebody without her permission." 

"What does she usually have you do with the people you kidnap?" Prompto tugged at the ropes a little. Maybe if she learned just who the group had captured then they would be released. 

"If nobody pays the ransom then she sells them to the Niffs. Don't know what happens after that." Abelie shrugged.

The door was thrown open and Abelie's father stormed in. He hauled Prompto up by his arm and dragged him out of the room. "Your little friend is not where we left him. He's no doubt trying to find you, so let's give him a hand."

Prompto stumbled as he was shoved up the stairs too quickly, tripping on the top step leading to the deck. His cheek smacked the floor as he turned, unable to catch himself with his bound hands. He was yanked back up and pushed towards the control room. 

The man kept a tight grip on the blond as he turned on the loudspeaker. Every room on the boat had a speaker, so the loose captive would hear the message no matter where he was. 

"You have five minutes to get to the deck and lay on the floor without fighting or your buddy here will be in big trouble." 

Abelie's father let go of his arm to grab a fistful of hair. He moved Prompto's head closer to the microphone. 

"Ngh! I'm okay! Don't worry about me, man." Prompto fought down another gasp as he was pulled away from the console. 

"You'd better hurry. He may not be 'okay' for much longer." The loudspeaker was switched off and Prompto was being shoved again. Rough hands guided him to the deck to wait for Noctis arrival. 

The boat was a few hundred feet away from the city. Prompto realized it was probably getting close to the time Abelie said the drop off was. He wondered how they planned to transport them quietly to the arena. The city was crowded, and he was still confused as to how they had made it to the boat without anyone seeing. 

If he hadn't been blindfolded he would have seen that they went through a series of back alleys that led to a small, secluded pier behind a restaurant. The establishment used the dock to accept food deliveries. 

Noctis burst onto the deck, door slamming open as he raced out. Scanning for Prompto, he calmed down when he saw his friend kneeling on the floor. Abelie's father stood behind him, ready to react should the blond try anything. Several other gang members stood around on the dock, waiting to see if they would need to attack. 

Moving closer, Noctis noticed the light bruise forming on Prompto's cheek, and his face darkened. "Prom, who hit you? I'll take them out right now." He took a fighting stance, waiting to see who he would be warp striking first. 

Before Prompto could say anything Abelie's father yelled. "Get down on the ground!" 

The man's hand was in Prompto's hair again, tilting his head back to expose his neck. The gunner felt a tiny blade ghosting his skin. He kept still, knowing that Noctis would overreact if it even nicked him. He didn't want the king to get himself killed over a little cut. 

Noctis ground his teeth and lay down. One of the other men walked over and plunged a needle into his arm. Prompto winced, he knew what Noctis was now feeling. He watched as his brother's eyes became glassy. 

There was a flurry of activity after that. Some men moved a large shipping crate over as one of them wrapped ropes around the king yet again. 

Prompto tried to control his breathing. They were going to be shoved in that small, dark space. Attempting to ignore the growing claustrophobia, he focused on matching the way Noctis breathed as they were both gagged. 

Crumpled against his incapacitated best friend, Prompto stared as the lid closed over them. 

He summoned one of Ignis' daggers and began sawing at the ropes. 

-o-

Gladio paced by the side of the arena. "They're not going to show up." He summoned his sword and swung it at the building. Staring at the tiny crack in the stone wall did nothing to stop the anger. 

Ignis was busy rubbing the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stay calm. He tried to think of where else the mafia might have taken the younger men. "Well, we have the gil. Time to start buying information." 

Their afternoon had been spent winning match after match as they asked around the arena about the city's crime network. Ignis had figured out a formula for picking victors. One simply had to focus on the level and size of the monster while ignoring the odds that were listed. 

"Buying info from where? Even the tiny bit we gleaned from the citizens is not really helpful."

"Gladio. We were asking civilians, who do their best to avoid such unsavory matters. We now need to search for people who are actually involved with the mafia. I suggest we make our way to a club, most illegal operations are planned where there's lots of distractions."

Gladio supposed that made sense. "Right. Lead the way."

Ignis sighed. "I am loathe to admit I do not know where any clubs are. I don't frequent such places, so I was not keeping an eye out for them."

"Back to a gondolier then. Maybe he'll know." Gladio started to walk away but Ignis' hand on his shoulder stopped him. 

"We'll find them."

"I know. Come on."

The gondola deposited the determined Crownsguard in front of an unmarked door in a back alley. It had been a tight squeeze getting into the hidden waterway. They paid the watercraft operator and stepped onto the tiny wooden platform under the door. 

Knocking made the door crack open, a muscular man peeked out. "Password?"

Ignis just held up some gil. 

"Welcome to The Praying Moogle."

They entered and moved through the dark lobby towards thumping music and muffled conversations. As they entered where the dance floor was Gladio pointed to the bar. 

The bartender greeted them and asked for their drink orders. 

"Is there anyone here we can ask about kidnappings?" He held the note they had found in the alley towards the man. He scanned the note. "I recognize this writing. But why should I tell you?"

Ignis rolled his eyes and held out some more gil. 

"Adalberto is probably in charge of this job. I feel bad for whoever he nabbed. Everyone 'round here knows he's the secretary's lap dog."

"The secretary?" Both Ignis and Gladio glanced at each other. "I knew she seemed off."

"Yeah, she has him and his daughter collect people to ransom. Any suckers who don't get payed for get shipped out to the empire. That's how the lovely secretary keeps taxes so low in our fair city. The Niffs pay a pretty penny for more lab rats."

Gladio clapped Ignis on the shoulder. "Let's go visit Miss Claustra."

"Let's."


	4. Chapter 4

Prompto smiled as the last rope snapped. The crate had been jostled around and he had to stop slicing every so often to avoid accidentally stabbing himself. It had finally stilled five minutes ago and Prompto strained his ears. He didn't hear movement, so he flicked on the flashlight attached to his vest. Hopefully no one cared about the light shining through the cracks of the crate. 

Removing the cloth from his mouth, he undid Noctis' gag. He shifted his still dazed friend as much as he could and began cutting the ropes, careful not to hurt Noctis. 

"Proooommm, why's it so d-daaaarrrkkk?" Noctis had been trying to ask earlier but it just kept coming out as moans. 

"We're in a box, Noct." He had to stop working because Noctis was now trying to roll over. "Dude, stay still. I'm almost done, okay?"

"Done with???" The king tried to look at Prompto, who was gently turning him back around. 

The dagger dissolved as the last rope fell away. Noctis let his arms flop against his sides. 

"The drug should've been wearing off by now, I don't think it lasted this long for me... Maybe they gave you a larger dose?" The blond hoped that wouldn't affect Noctis permanently. 

Noctis just dragged a finger up to boop Prompto's nose. "You're so cute, l-like, I juuust wanna keep ya s-safe. My liiil chocococobo bro bro. Lllluuuuvvv ya Prom Prom."

"I love you too, but you're not really helping right now." Prompto frowned. He remembered feeling confused but Noctis was acting downright loopy. At least it distracted him from how cramped the crate was. The crate that he still wasn't sure how to escape from. 

Noctis moved his heavy arm on top of his thinking friend. "Give me a huuugg, I'm shiverivering." He was right, it was a little chilly now. It had to be past eight o'clock at this point. 

Prompto moved the rope bits and cloth pieces from between them and snuggled closer to Noctis. "I'm worried about Iggy and Gladio. They're probably murdering half the city looking for us."

"Teehee, mur der. Murdy der. Prom, that's a funny word."

"And what if the secretary won't let us go now that we know about her illegal activities?" Prompto buried his face into Noctis' chest. That lady had a bunch of guards around her estate. There would be no escaping, even if he did just start trying to shoot everything. He chuckled sardonically. What was the point of having access to the armiger if he couldn't use it to help Noct now?

He also doubted he'd be able to fight while trying to guide a drugged king to freedom. 

"Noct, are you still awake?" He had been quiet while Prompto tried to come up with a plan. 

"No. I'm sleeping." 

It was a lie, but the sentence was coherent. Prompto hoped that signaled that the stuff was wearing off. 

"I want to go to bed." 

"I know, but please don't sleep yet. I need you to stay awake so I know you're okay."

"I'm not okay, I'm tired. Dreamy time now, night Prom." He closed his eyes. 

They shot back open as the crate was opened. Noctis clamped around Prompto tighter. "No one's gonna take you away if I kidnap you first!" 

Prompto was touched by the twisted logic. He didn't want to be separated again either. 

They were dragged out of the crate and thrown on the floor. Prompto was able to catch himself this time, but Noctis dropped down. He now had a bruise on his cheek that matched his brother's. 

Prompto went to help Noctis up, but froze when he heard an annoyed 'ahem'. They were lifted and held in place by some guards. 

Camelia's heels clicked against the floor as she strode in front of them. "That idiot snagged you two? I apologize for the inconvenience. Where are the other members of your group?"

"I know you. You're that old lady. Boooo." Noctis tried to lean over towards where Prompto was being held. 

"Your men drugged him, uh, sorry about the comment." Prompto shifted and chuckled nervously, hoping she wouldn't get angry and toss them into the water to drown. If he wanted to get Noctis and himself out alive then he needed the secretary to not hate their guts. 

"I know, child. It's a blend of a paralyzing agent and some ground cactuar. The confusion effect should be wearing off soon."

She stood directly in front of the gunner. "I'll ask you once more. Where are the other two?"

"I don't know, only Noct and I were on the boat." Prompto fidgeted. She was awful close and Noctis was glaring at her. Prom hoped he wasn't planning anything. 

"Get away from him." 

Camelia turned her head to look at Noctis. "You will be released when your friends are located. Then you will be escorted to the hotel, where you will stay until the oracle addresses the people before the awakening."

Prompto nodded. He had forgotten that Luna was in the secretary's custody as well. He hoped she hadn't arrived there in the same manner he and Noct did. 

A guard entered the room. "Ma'am, there are two men outside threatening to burn the house down if they don't gain entrance."

"Ah, there are the other two. Let them in."

Prompto strained to look at the door, but the guard yanked him back so he was facing forward. He wondered when they would let go, seeing as she had just guaranteed their freedom. Well, heavily monitored freedom. He was sure the guards would follow to keep them at the hotel. 

"They're maaaaddd~" Noctis sang out as he heard Ignis' shoes and Gladio's stomping. 

The older men were relieved and irritated when they finally found Noctis and Prompto. It looked like they weren't injured, which was good. But seeing them held in place by the guards put them back on edge. Ignis knew it was a power move, and he prepared for the worst. 

Gladio strode forward to tower in front of the woman responsible for their horrible day. 

She spoke first, cutting off the demand for their release before it could be said. "The four of you will stay at the hotel and speak of this to no one. After the covenant you will immediately leave the city. I don't need you blabbing and ruining years of work. Get out." 

She waved dismissively and the guards thrust the younger men towards Ignis. He guided them out with a supportive hand on each back, Gladio following. 

"Are you two alright!?" The advisor quickly scanned the men in the hall as they walked, seeing only the bruises they had on their cheeks. 

"We're okay, Iggy. Noctis is still a little kooky from the drug, but-"

"Drug?" Ignis immediately began to dig in his pocket for an antidote as they exited the estate. 

"Yeah, she said it was a mix of something. It paralyzes and confuses... He's doing a lot better now, so it should go away soon." 

Noctis eyes looked a lot more focused and he was only wobbling a little. "I'm good. Like, super good." He fell silent again, all his energy being used to remain upright. 

Ignis stopped looking for the antidote. If it was a mixed drug then the medicine might not work. Or make the condition worse. Best to ride it out. 

Gladio glared at the guards following them. The secretary's escort was a foot behind the party the entire way to the hotel. They stood outside the door as the shield locked it. He turned to look at his younger brothers. 

Ignis and Prompto had helped Noctis onto the bed. They were each unlacing a boot when Noctis sat up. "I think I'm okay now. That was awful." 

"You sure, dude?" Prompto pulled of the shoe and set it down. "I was really worried, I didn't babble like that when they used it on me."

"If it was indeed a blend, then maybe there were two variants? One for befuddlement and one with a greater paralyzing effect? Either way, it looks like the damage isn't permanent. We can be grateful for that." Ignis still planned to keep an eye on them. 

"So, you wanna explain why Iggy and I had to save your butts?" Gladio had dropped into one of the chairs. Now that he knew everyone was safe he felt drained. 

"After I went to the bathroom this girl asked me to help her. Things kinda went downhill from there..."

He told everyone about the ordeal, Noctis adding in his point of view as necessary. 

"I don't even remember the crate."

"Yeah, lucky you. I wish I could forget that cramped, dark-" Prompto shuddered. "At least I wasn't alone, though."

"New rule. Nobody goes to the bathroom alone." Ignis took off his glasses and lay down on one of the beds. They could all shower in the morning. Sleep was more important right now. 

"Yep. We're all going to go potty together from now on, like high school girls." Gladio stood up to find something to eat before bed. The rushed sandwich at the arena did not fill him, and he had been to preoccupied to eat anything else. 

Prompto crawled over and lay down next to Noctis. "Thanks for saving us."

Ignis and Gladio each let out a tiny 'you're welcome'. Noctis hummed. "We'll always save each other. Now go to sleep. I'm exhausted."

Prompto listened to the noise in the room. Gladio rummaging through a cabinet, Ignis turning on the bed, Noctis' heartbeat as he pulled the blond closer. 

They were safe. Prompto visited slumberland with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> *cries in corner because of how mean I was to the boys*


End file.
